Knights lose Region Championship series 2-1 to UCAP

05.05.14

Eddie Apice

The CCRI baseball team lost the Region XXI Championship series this past weekend,
2-1 to UConn-Avery Point. The Knights took the first game on Friday 8-0, before dropping
game two on Saturday 3-2 (10 innings) and game three on Sunday by a score of 4-2.

Game 1
CCRI 8 UCAP 0

Eddie Apice (North Kingstown, RI) grabbed his second win of the season, completely
shutting down the UCAP lineup and hurling a complete-game shutout in an 8-0 win in
game one for the Knights. Apice scattered just three hits in a mercy rule shortened
seven inning game.

Offensively, Joe Yankee's (Lincoln, RI) two out single drove in two runs to give the
Knights a lead in the fourth inning and they never looked back. The Knights’ offensive
explosion was also paced by sophomore catcher Ryan Wordell (Little Compton, RI), who
laced two hits in the win, including a monster home run.

Game 2
UCAP 3 CCRI 2 (10 innings)

The Knights fell just short of clinching the Region Championship in game two, as CCRI
mounted a comeback to tie the game 2-2 before losing on an RBI single down the third
base line in the bottom of the tenth inning. With the loss, UCAP tied the series 1-1.

Game two featured a classic pitchers’ dual between CCRI southpaw Jake Tillman (Scituate,
RI) and UCAP ace Zach Albin. Albin pitched nine strong innings, en route to picking
up a no-decision, while Tillman was the tough luck loser, tossing 9+ innings before
surrendering a walk off hit in the tenth. UCAP’s Shawn Nadeau picked up the win, throwing
a scoreless tenth inning.

Game 3
UCAP 4 CCRI 2

In a decisive game three, UCAP jumped out to an early 1-0 lead off of Knights’ ace
Ryan O’Dell (Lincoln, RI). However, the Knights’ offense finally broke through in
the top of the fifth, when Jake Waldren (Phoenix, AZ) laced a two-out bases loaded
single that scored Apice and Wordell.

But CCRI couldn’t hang on to their 2-1 lead. The Pointers put together a string of
hits in the bottom of the seventh off of O’Dell, ultimately resulting in three runs
and a 4-2 lead. That was more than enough for Doug Domnarski (8-1), who shut out the
Knights the rest of the way in a complete-game effort.

O’Dell was handed his first loss of the season, pitching a solid seven innings, while
allowing four runs on 10 hits.

CCRI ended their season with an overall record of 22-10.

The Community College of Rhode Island, New England’s largest comprehensive community
college, enrolls nearly 18,000 students in credit courses and thousands more in non-credit
and job training classes. Its athletic program boasts 12 varsity programs and an academic
support program for all student-athletes.